DENVER, Colo. — The comeback for the St. Mary's University Softball team fell just short in the first game of the NCAA South Central Regional on Thursday on the MSU Denver Campus.
 
The Rattlers (30-23) lost 7-4 to No. 7 and top-seeded Colorado Christian (54-5) in the opening game of the regional, fighting back from a 7-1 deficit to score three runs in the final two innings on a pair of home runs, but were unable to push any more across.
 
StMU struck early, scoring a run in the top of the first, with an unearned run scored by junior Iliana Melendez (Seabrook, Texas) on a single to centerfield by Gabriela Banda (San Antonio).
 
That score held until the bottom of the third when the Cougars knotted the game at 1-1 on two singles and a Rattlers error.
 
CCU added four runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth for the 7-1 lead.
 
Sophomore Miah Corona (Eddy, Texas) hit her fourth home run over the wall, crushing a ball to deep left field for the 7-2 tally.
 
Junior Bryley Westfahl (San Antonio) hit an infield single to third base to kick off the seventh, and she scored two batters later on a first-pitch home run by senior Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) for the 7-4 score.
 
Westfahl, Tennill, Corona and starting pitcher Ariella Saenz (Pharr, Texas) each had two hits on the day as the Rattlers matched the Cougars in the hits column with 12.
 
Saenz dropped to 15-9 on the season after working 3 1/3 innings in the circle. She allowed three earned runs on eight hits with one walk. Junior Emery Aguilar (Georgetown, Texas) pitched one inning and senior Breanna Ford (Corpus Christi) threw the final 1 2/3 innings.
 
The Rattlers will face No. 18 UT Tyler in the loser's bracket on Friday. The Patriots were shut out, 10-0, by No. 22 Oklahoma Christian in the second game of the day.